Signal device for automobiles or other vehicles.



H..HELFENBE|N.

SIGNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES OR OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29. 1918.

1,298,205. Pamm Mar. 1919.

1 Fig.1

HARRY HELFENIBEIN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STL'GNAL DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES OB. OTHER VEHICLES.

Application filed August 29, 1918.

To all who) if may con mi.

lie it known that l llanny .i'lnnrnnmnx, a citizen of Russia. residing at Cleveland, in the county of (.uyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Signal Devices for Automobiles or other Vehicles, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to signals tor automobiles or other vehicles and has for its object to provide an injiproved signal consisting of a lamp box having swinging arms which may be operated by devices controlled by the driver for the purpose of indicating a change of direction or Other intended action of the vehicle. The construction is such that a single lamp furnishes the illumination for a tail light and tw signal lights, and for the swinging arms or hands, the latter being 50 arranged as to obscure all of the lights except the tail light, except. when the arms are swung out to indicate an intended movement.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

in the drawings. Figure l is a partial side view of an automobile provided with the invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the lamp box. Fig. is a section on the line. 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. l is a side elevation of the lamp box. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. t. Fig. 6 is a section on the line (St3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a sect-ion on the line 7? of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, 6 indicates a lamp box mounted upon some convenient bracket at the back of the vehicle. 7 is a. lamp in the box, and when lighted this lamp shines at all times through the middle glass 8 in the all of the box. This glass or lens may be green. and forms a tail light. fit each side of this middle glass is a glass or lens 9, which may be red, and the ilhfn'nination of which is controlled by one of a pair of arms 10. Each oi these arms is pivoted as indicated at it in the lower corner of the box, in position to swing up into the box shown in Fig. 5, or to swing down and out through the slot 12 in the side wall of the box, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. The arms are so located that when they are swung up they cover the passages or compartments leading to the lenses 9, as appears in Fig. 3. so that the light. is cut oil from said lenses. The lenses are Specification of Letters Patent Patented atar. i555, fit'ftiit).

Serial No. 251,

carried in an extension casing 15 projecting from the rear tare oi the box, this casing being divided by partitions 1-l into passages leading to the respective lenses, and the interior ot the box and passages may be coated with some reflecting substance. springs 15 are connected to the arms 10 and act to normally lift the same to upright. posi* tion, with the red lights 9 cut oil, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. A. license tag 16 may be l'astened to the [ace of the. box and is adapted t be illuminated by light shining through a slot 17 in the extension. 13 rcterred to. Said extension also has slots 18 permitting the passage ol light to illuminate the arms 10 when they are swung down. When the arms are swung down they uncover the passages leading to the lenses 9 so that the light shines through one. or both of said lenses and illuminates the same, thereby indicating an intended movement.

The arms may be operated by any suitable means. l have disclosed a pair of cords 19 connected to the arms at 20, so as to swing them on the pivots 11. These cords pass over guide pulleys 21,22, and to the steering post iii of the vehicle and are connected respectively to operating devices. Each cord is connected to a hand piece 24. which extends through a slot in av casing 26 fixed to the steering post in convenient po sition for operation. Either hand piece 24 may be pulled up in its slot 25 to swing the corresponding arm. and the slot is offset at its upper end as indicated at 27 so that the hand piece may be caught in the offset and the arm held in extended position. To operate both arms simultaneously I provide a third hand piece 2st. which extends through a similar slot 25 in the casing 26 and projects fromnn are-shaped plate 29 which works in the casing 26 and engages under the arms :24. the cords missing through slots 3 in the ends of the plate 29. i-tcrordingly, when the arm ill is pulled up, it will carry with it the two arms 24:, and thus both cords will be pulled and both arms 10 will be swung down and both lenses 9 will be illuminated.

The operating devices just described, instead of being mounted on the steering post, may be. mounted on the dash board or any convenient part ot' the machine.

VVheu the arm 10 at the right is swung down and the right hand lens 9 is illuminated, a turn to the right. will be indicated,

.loiled and when the left hand light is similarly illuminated, a turn to the left will be indicated. When both red lenses are illuminated, a stop will be indicated. The green lens 8, as stated, remains illuminated at all times.

The invention is not limited to the special devices shown and described, but various modifications are possible within the scope thereof.

I claim:

A signal comprising a box having a compartment containing a lamp, and slots in the side walls of the box, an extension casing projecting from the rear face of the box, said extension casing having partitions diriding the same into a plurality of passages,

lenses in said passages, arms pivoted at their lower corners near the bottom. of the box and arranged to swing through said slots to upright position within the box or horizontal position outside of the box, said arms being located between the box and the inner ends of the passages when in upright position, to cut off light from the latter,

and the passages having slots in the side walls thereof through which light may pass to illuminate'the arms when they are swung out. I

In testimony whereof, I do afiix my sig- 30 

